John's Blog

Master’s Pan American Games

John — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 05:26:00 GMT

Master’s Pan American Games

I had wanted to compete in the 2009, UCI Worlds in Austria but I just couldn’t make it happen. Instead, I chose the Master’s Pan American Games in the Dominican Republic.

I left on Friday, October 30^th but with my layover in New York, I didn’t arrive until Saturday afternoon. It seems there aren’t many flights to the Dominican Republic. I can’t seem to sleep on airplanes.

The time trial is an all out effort against the clock. It is called the “race of truth” because you can’t get any help from anyone else. We started the day by riding to the course. Riding a time trial bicycle in a third world country is pretty exciting. There seemed to be no rules. Small motorbikes scooting in and out of cars and driveways, taxi’s stopping anywhere, at any time, trying to pack their vehicles with passengers, horse drawn carts, street merchants weaving through cars, buses, potholes, smog and other bicycles pulling carts. We must have stood out like a sore thumb on our $5000 bikes and stars and stripes jerseys.

We arrived at the course which was in a park closed to traffic. There were 17 countries participating in the event so it had a real international feel. Mike Fraysee was the coach and he’s a great guy. He took care of me like I was a champ. It’s really neat to wear the stars and stripes and compete in an international event representing your country. I wasn’t feeling up to snuff but I gave it a good shot. I won a bronze medal. I was behind the gold by 17 seconds. The split between gold and silver was 30/100 seconds!

The ride home was a trip. It was like riding in a pinball game. I was a bike messenger a long time ago so I’m used to riding in traffic. I describe it as aggressive-defensive riding. You have to be aggressive and state your ground, but at the same time you’re on a bicycle and if it’s between you and a car, you will lose. I had a great time negotiating through all the obstacles.

The next three days was racing on the track so I rested at the pool, went to the track to watch the other Americans race and rode to the time trial course to train. There was a Cuban masseur who was giving massages for only $10. I was getting two a day!

The second day another racer named Evelyn came to train with me to the park. We went a little late so we had to come home in the dark. I got ahead of her and decided to wait. She wasn’t coming and a guy told me she unfortunately got hit by a car. I rode back and fortunately she was okay. That was it for her riding to the course.

At night there was a meringue band that played at the hotel. I made friends with the musicians and would hang with them a little and listen to meringue.

Circuit Race

I finally had a race. It was a three mile course; fairly flat with a few little rollers before the last turn to the sprint. It was really hot! There must have been 15 Dominicans in my race. I was the only American.

Immediately, the Dominicans started to attack. I tried to cover some of the attacks but there were too many of them. The Colombians, Argentineans, Puerto Ricans and a guy from Guadalupe were very active so I followed wheels. I was really impressed by the racer from Guadalupe. He was alone too but he was super aggressive, attacking all the time. He would sneak to the back and use the little downhill roller before the last turn to gain speed and then come around the corner. Even when I heard him coming, he would have so much speed from the roller I would really have to dig deep to get on his wheel.

On the last lap another Dominican attacked. I let him go. I figured some of the other countries with three or four teammates would jump on, but no one did. He was able to stay away. I was in the front as we got to the last little roller. I figured I’d try the Guadeloupians move and sat up and drifted to the back. I was betting the pack would stay together on the roller and the attack on the corner. It was an all or nothing move. It didn’t go my way. They all attacked on the downhill. L I turned on the thrusters and passed half the pack around the corner. I got up in the top ten in the last hundred meters but there was no room to maneuver. I ended up with nothing.

Road Race

I was told my road race was on Saturday the 7^th. We had to be in the lobby at 6:30am for an 11am race. By the time we picked up racers from other countries at their respective hotels and arrived at the course I felt like going back to sleep. The heat and humidity were tough; especially when it turned out I wasn’t racing that day. My race was the next day. I basically sat there all day in the heat. I was bummed.

Same story as the day before. Almost five hours had gone by before I was on the start line. For some reason my back had been killing me since I awoke. I don’t know whether I slept wrong or sitting on the bus for so long but I was having problems staying in the tucked position.

My tactics were different this time. Any time a Dominican attacked I was on his wheel. I got in a break with two guys on lap two. The Dominican wanted me to work but I felt it was too early, plus my back was killing me. I got in another break with the same two guys and this time we got a gap. It was an “out-and-back” course so the pack could see us coming back at the turn around. This heightened their desire to catch us and they did. As soon as they did, the winning move occurred. I got on the break but my back was killing me. I had to sit up. I figured I would jump onto the chase group which I did, but once again my back was killing me and I couldn’t stay in the down position. At that intensity I was a goner.

I had a great time, met a bunch of nice people, got to see old Santo Domingo where Christopher Columbus had been and won a bronze medal. It was fun. This year the games are in Cuba and this time I’m going to win all three races!

An Adventure for my Father

John — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 05:20:00 GMT

An Adventure for my Father

In 2007 I decided to write a fitness book and thought winning some gold medals in the Senior World Games would be a great marketing tool for the book. Since I was turning 50 in 2008 I started to train in 2007. The plan went well. At the Huntsman Senior World Games I won every road race and earned four gold medals. In mountain biking I won one silver and two bronze medals. Since I had never raced a mountain bike before and had a nasty crash on my first race, I was very happy with my results.

2009 had a different agenda. I competed in the California Senior Games (3 gold and 1 silver), the National Senior Games (2 golds) then off to compete in the Nevada Senior Games, leading to my return to the Huntsman World Senior Games. All of this competing was a preparation for the Master’s Pan American Games in November in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. To drop weight I had been dieting, even fasting for 40 hours each week. Prior to both the California games and the Nationals I had trained at altitude in the mountains. This had become so precarious that I had purchased an altitude tent and had been sleeping at 10,000+ to try and increase my hematocrit level. I was also using an infra-red sensor to measure oxygen saturation in my blood while wearing a mask and breathing air at 9000 ft, and cycling on a trainer.

The day before my departure my Father passed away. It was a shock. You hear about people’s parents dying but you never really know how you’ll react until it actually happens to you. When it does, you feel like you’re in an alley being chased with nowhere to go. No way to get out and you don’t know which way to turn. In my case, I was booked. Meetings, conference calls, faxes and errands were packed into my last day in town before a 14 day trip to the races. The phone was ringing off the hook from my family who were in Florida dealing with the paramedics, sheriffs and the coroner. I started to get angry. I had no time to think about my Dad or reflect on what was happening. I didn’t want to squeeze thoughts of my Father in between the next fax or meeting. I found myself getting explosive. I also had to make a decision. Go on this trip or go home? What would my Father want? By the time I got to Florida, everything would’ve been planned, my family would be back at work and I would be sitting there with nothing to do. On the other hand, my Father had been a foreign correspondent, an athlete and loved an adventure. Before he had passed he had sent me three boxes of all his scrapbooks containing many of the articles and stories he had written. The funeral wouldn’t be until the next weekend so the trip turned out to be the best therapy for me. It would give me time away from all of my responsibilities and allow me time to read all of his articles and reflect on my memories of him.

I grabbed the boxes of articles and continued on my adventure in his honor.

Nevada Senior Olympics

I registered Saturday morning and they gave me the Number 1. I was the first rider off in the 5k Time Trial. I normally like to have a “rabbit” I can chase, but as it turned out, I won with the fastest time of the day. It was also the fasted time I had ever posted in a 5k. I talked to my Father as it hurt and asked him for his strength. He was always very strong. As always, my Father came through.

I also won the road race later that day. I now had two gold medals to put in my Father’s casket.

The next morning we were to race twice but the winds were so strong they cancelled both races. I wasn’t too disappointed because it was bike week in Vegas. My Father was also a biker. Later that day, I grabbed my dog Mufasa and rode around town on my mountain bike looking at all the different bikes imagining my Father with me and how we would have enjoyed the whole scene. I was very proud of my Dad.

Huntsman World Senior Games

Monday morning I was packing my van when I pulled my back. I have a spondylolisthesis which sometimes acts up. When it does, I can barely brush my teeth! I still had to load the van, drive almost two hours to St. George, Utah, unload the van and then practice the course for the Hill Climb the next day.

All states have Senior Games. The four events are always the same in 49 states except for Utah. The four events in Huntsman games are longer and much harder. Utah is the only state where people compete not only by age but also by experience. In 2008 I had won everything in Division II. Because I had cleaned up, it is mandatory to move to Division I. Needless to say, the Hill Climb didn’t go well. I got fourth. My back was killing me. In the 40k Time Trial the following day I did worse. I got sixth. The winner beat me by over five minutes with a 53:22 to my 58:something.

The criterium was the next day and I wasn’t going to lose this race. In the last corner, I had a great position and took the sprint to win the gold.

The road race turned out to be more tactical. At the “wall” two guys got away and it looked like they were going to stay away. I’m not a good climber so I got dropped on the wall, but clawed my way back to the chase group. No one seemed to want to race so I started organizing a chase. Basically, yelling and calling them names seemed to work. We finally caught the break and flew down hill for three miles before the right turn for three miles flat to the finish. At that turn there were about nine of us. The guy who won the time trial went a little too early, at least I thought. I jumped but didn’t give it 100%. That ended up costing me the win. He was too strong and held us off. Another ten-twenty feet and I would’ve had him. I got the silver though. Here’s where it gets crazy.

I was in St. George, Utah and my Father’s funeral was to be in West Palm, Florida the next day. I had my dog with me so I had found a kennel only two blocks from my hotel. I had his vaccine records faxed to me but we had gotten behind on one of his shots. I fortunately found a vetinarian two blocks from the hotel and had taken care of his shot so I only had to drop him off. Directly from the awards I dropped Mufasa off, showered and drove two hours to Las Vegas for my 4pm flight. If it hadn’t been that St. George is on Mountain Time and Las Vegas was on Pacific Standard Time I wouldn’t have made it. After a five hour flight my cousin picked me and we drove another hour to West Palm to see my Mother. We stayed up talking till about 2am and then went to bed. Even though I should’ve been exhausted, I couldn’t sleep. My legs were killing me from racing and sitting for 10 hours. I was thinking about my Mother and organizing my thoughts for the eulogy which I was to give the next day. There was so much to say…..

My Father’s Day

The services were beautiful. Many friends and family attended. I put all three gold medals and a pair of my drumsticks in his coffin, talked to him for a while and got a locket of his hair. My sister made a great collage of photos and I had brought 30 copies of some of my Dad’s writings entitled “Memoirs of A Would-Be-Adventure” for people to read. In the past week I had read every article in his scrap books and cut and pasted the stories I felt were out of the ordinary to hard stock for people to read. I could hear his voice as I had read them. My sister, her daughter and I spoke at the services, the Navy played Taps and presented my Mother with an American flag at the funeral and we all sent a bunch of balloons to the heavens for Dad as he watched over us. It was a special day. Although I was sad, I was full of pride for my Father, the life he had led, the man he was and the Father he had been and will always be to me.

Mountain Biking

The next morning I rose at 5:45am, drove an hour to the airport, flew five hours and drove another two hours to St. George, picked up my Mufasa and headed to the mountain bike course. Now I was really tired. My back after four races, 20 hours of travelling and hardly any sleep was toast. I did one lap of the seven mile course and went home.

The hill climb was tough. Back was hurting and I was so tired. I got third. The downhill followed. I had ridden my mountain bike about three times prior to these races and since I had descended the course once the day before I wasn’t that comfortable. Surprisingly enough, I got second for a silver medal.

Went back to the room to sleep. The cross-country the next day was the hardest race I had done all year. Three laps of a very technical 7-mile circuit. My legs blew up in the first five minutes. It ended up being a 1:45:00 time trial through steps of rock, dry descents, single track and something they call the “key hole” which reminded me of “Raiders of the Lost Ark” movies. You had to ride up a very narrow river bed over flat-rock with giant stones jutting out from each side at your head and body. About half way through the race my back started to really, really hurt. I was surprised I made it to the end of the race. I got a bronze medal.

Immediately after the race, I returned to the hotel, loaded all four bikes, gear and the dog, went to the awards ceremony and drove seven hours back home through an unusual rain storm and winds of 60-70 mph.

I had travelled almost 27 hours, ridden four bike races, won 4 medals and buried my Father in five days.

That’s an adventure my Father would’ve been proud of. I miss him, but he’s always here with me.

The National Senior Games

John — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 05:18:00 GMT

The National Senior Games

Every state has a Senior Games competition similar to the Olympics with over 20 sports to compete in. You must be over 50 to participate. The top two winners in each category may compete every other year in the National Senior Olympics. In 2009, I participated in the games held at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California.

I started training at the beginning of the year but tore ligaments in my thumb in February. I didn’t have surgery until mid April and this put a damper on my training. However, in June I was able to win three gold medals and a silver in the California Senior Games. This qualified me for the Nationals to be held in Houston, TX, in 2011.

I decided to train at high altitudes to prepare for the National games. I loaded up all my bikes and my dog Mufasa and headed to the Sequoia National Park for a week of training. I stayed at the Ponderosa Inn, a grocery store/restaurant at 7200 feet of elevation with only two rooms for rent located in the middle of nowhere.

My first ride was uneventful but enjoyable. Since the Ponderosa was at the top of the mountain, the only choice was to descend 25-30 miles in either direction in search of the next sign of civilization. Day two was to be my first “big” ride. My goal was to ride to the town of Kernville and back.

When I started out in the morning, the temperature was about 80 degrees. By the time I descended to the first store, my bike computer indicated it was 104 degrees. I drank a bunch of Gatorade and ate some nuts and potato chips for salt and headed the next 15 miles along the Kern river towards Kernville. Two miles from the store I checked my pocket for my salt pills and they weren’t there. They must have dropped out on the descent! Not good. Without those pills I wouldn’t make it back up the mountain. I decided to turn around and make my way back as I had just had something to eat and drink. By this time, the heat had reached 111 degrees! Thankfully, around 12 miles up the mountain, I ran across a small community that I hadn’t seen on the descent because I was going too fast. I was able to refuel and attempt the last 20 miles of climbing.

Training alone in the mountains is mentally tough. You’re completely alone with no cell phone coverage and it is rare for a car to go by. I was pretty much on my own. I did make it back but had been cramping terribly. I had heat exhaustion and was severely dehydrated. Bad diarrhea, an upset stomach and a sleepless night left me exhausted the next day. Not to mention it was hot. I could barely walk and thought I might have blown the whole trip. Remember, there was no flat ground. I slept most of the day and did a light 24 mile ride in the late afternoon after it cooled down a bit. I decided to wait until the afternoon of the next day to attempt my next “big ride.” I hoped the extra rest would allow me to complete the ride. I was going to ascend Sherman Pass which is over 9000 feet.

I descended the 26 miles before the start of the climb to Sherman Pass. On the way down I found my container with my salt pills! What luck! As I ascended it was 104 degrees and I saw only two or three cars. The climb was tough and, around 8000 feet, I was running out of liquid. I tried to hike down to a stream but I couldn’t get to it. I had no choice but to turn around at 8200 feet. The descent was treacherous. The road was bad, the curves tight and it was very windy. My bike started to make a loud sound when I would coast, somewhat like the screaming of a mule. This happened when my chain would hang down to the ground causing it to bounce dangerously close to my back wheel. At over 40 miles an hour, I didn’t need my chain to get caught in my back wheel. This made the descent a problem. Luckily, I made it and then had to start the 26 mile climb back to the Ponderosa. Again, I might have seen three cars the whole way.

It was dark when I arrived and the restaurant was closed. I didn’t know they would close early if there were no customers, but it was okay. I had a blender, fruit water, protein and my supplements. I had felt really good coming up the hill and maybe pushed myself a little too much. It had been a six hour ride, 75 miles with over 9000 feet of climbing. The change in temperature in one ride was amazing. It went from 105 degrees at the hottest to 57 degrees to the lowest! That’s a difference of almost 50 degrees in one ride! Cycling is a tough sport.

The next day I was toast. I was a little worried that I might have left my legs on that ride and that I might not be able to recover for the first race which was to be held three days later. I decided to do a short 20 mile ride and then take a nice cruise with Mufasa around the “Trail of 100 Giants,” the trail of old growth Sequoia trees which are breathtaking. The following morning, Mufasa and I loaded the van and head to Palo Alto. Well, I should say, I loaded the van and he watched.

The games were pretty huge. I met with my friends Mike Lukich and Cathy McNamara and registered for our events. Mike and Cathy had already scoped out the course and took me to test it out. It was an “out and back” course with a nasty little 11% hill for about a half mile at the end. Riding the course turned out to be essential.

20k Road Race

I staged with about 40 other competitors on a perfect day. Since the start was the descent it was a “neutral” start, which is when the pack must stay behind a referee as he rides a motorcycle slowly down the hill. This way, no one will kill themselves in the first two minutes of the race. I didn’t really know any of the other racers so I kept my nose out of the wind the whole race. The real race was to the corner of the climb and, unfortunately, I didn’t get a good position. As we barreled into the corner I was probably eight guys back. They were hammering and I thought I had lost the race. I didn’t panic and kept my pace hard and steady. I’m a good spinner so I kept it in the small ring which means I was using my slow-twitch muscles. Everyone else was in their big ring mashing a big gear using their fast-twitch muscles.

The climb was great for the spectators because it was a “snake” where they could view the entire ascent. As we climbed the crowd screamed for the favorites. By the time I hit corner three I was fourth and thought to myself “one more guy and I’m on the podium!” At the last corner I was third. I was dying but who cares, in about six seconds I could lay down and go to sleep if I had to. I clicked down two gears, stood up and gave it everything I had. I passed both guys and won the gold medal by only two seconds. I was stunned. It was over. I had just become the 20k National Senior Road Race champion. I couldn’t believe it.

When I got to my van to recover I heard the announcer talking about me, “John was a drummer who played with Cher and also was a Romance Novel Cover model, etc. etc.” I was confused. How did this guy know this all this stuff? I changed and rode to back to the start-finish and saw that the announcer was Bruce Hildenbrand who had been a guide on the “Etape de Tour de France” trip I had participated in 2005. We spent two weeks together and like the good journalist he is, he remembered what we had spoken about.

Within about an hour I was standing on the first winner’s podium of the games receiving a gold medal. It was such a good feeling. No matter what happened in the next three races I was a gold medal winner, a national champion. The pressure was off.

40k Road Race

Since everyone now knew who I was, I waited until everyone had staged and entered in the back of the pack at the last minute. Once again we had a neutral start. Since I was in the back of the pack no one noticed me. At the bottom of the hill the referee waved the flag and, off to the races we went. My plan almost bit me in the rear because there was a nasty crash in front of me that almost took me out. I was able to brake, ride over a guys wheel and although my foot came off of the pedals I was able to stay upright.

In a bike race, if you hear a crash, the pack will always step on it. It’s a great opportunity to get rid of everyone who fell and anyone who is caught behind the crash. Since we had just been waved to start the race, along with the crash, the pack was hauling ass! I put my head down and was able to catch on. A few of the other racers were not so lucky. It was super windy and the national time trial champion, John Novitsky who had gotten seventh the day before, kept trying to get away. I would let him stay away, but if he got more than ten seconds from the pack I would drag the pack up to him.

Once again, the real race began at the corner of the climb. This time, I got a better position. Once again everyone was flying at the bottom of the hill and at first I thought I had lost the race. I kept my cool, stayed in the saddle and spun up the hill, picking off one guy after the other. After the last turn I was in third. I clicked down into a bigger gear, stood up and stomped past the same guy who got second the day before in the last millisecond. It was that close. We ended up with the same time, but I was now the 40k National Senior Road Race champion.

Time Trials.

I got sixth in both the 5k and the10k time trials, but it didn’t matter because I had two shiny gold medals to take home. Sometimes it’s not always the strongest rider that wins a bike race, but the craftiest. That had been me.

Amanda Vogel's article "Weighing in on The Biggest Loser."

John — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 21:17:00 GMT

I would like to commend Amanda Vogel on her article “Weighing in on The Biggest Loser” which was recently published in the IDEA Source Magazine.

The article was informative and she did a good job of presenting both sides of the story. I, on the other hand, don’t need to be so diplomatic

I think there should be a disclaimer at the beginning of the show that states “This show is for entertainment purposes only. Both the participants and the personal trainers depicted are not real.”

I disagree that the show has been wonderful for our industry and “given personal training more exposure.” Unprofessional, uneducated and negligent behavior might be entertaining and the show might purport to promote health and fitness but it is not the portrayal of personal trainers we need to gain legitimate respect in the health care profession. A previous fitness reality show with personal trainers had the owner, a personal trainer herself, “making out” with one of her employees. Although this might get ratings, it does not show us in the best or most truthful light.

It was also very interesting how AFAA evaded the certification validation issue. They are a business and know free advertising when they see it. I would love to question either of the trainers on anatomy, biomechanics, physiology or joint structure and function. Now that would be some entertainment! It just might be as fun as questioning Kristie Brinkley and Chuck Norris except they, at least, don’t profess to be personal trainers. It’s a shame the show chose personal trainers with very little education or experience when there are so many deserving fitness professionals. Don’t get me wrong. It is not the trainer’s fault. They are merely taking advantage of a great financial opportunity.

I’ve always contended that the Biggest Loser insulted and intimidated the exact demographic it intended to inspire. The Australian Study included in Amanda’s article confirmed my suspicions. I’ve always felt empathetic or embarrassed for the contestants as they were forced to stand bare-chested or in a sports bra before a national audience and then be voted off the show!

Last night I couldn’t sleep and was appalled at how many fitness infomercials there were promising fast results with little or no effort or promoting the idea that weight loss can be achieved by eating anything one desires. It should be illegal to make such negligent claims. Look at where this mind-set has gotten us.

Anything that appears on television is somewhat glorified or accepted. The Biggest Loser plays into this type of mentality. In my opinion, this show lowers the benchmark as to what is acceptable in our society. With the current health care system dragging us into economic ruin, the benchmark should be raised not lowered. We should be spotlighting people who, despite life’s trials and tribulations, have managed to keep a healthy body weight and fitness regimen, not people who have consistently made bad health decisions!

How far is the entertainment media going to go in order to caricaturize personal trainers just for the sake of TV ratings and what does this say about the American public amused by such unrealistic situations? I like to watch Spiderman and Batman but I know they are not real. The public needs to know this is not real and, although it is frustrating, sometimes it is up to us to enlighten them. Good job Amanda!

The Today Show reveiws Infomercial exercise equipment

John — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 02:50:32 GMT

I watched the Today show on Feb. 6, 2009 and they reviewed four popular infomercial products.

It was terrible

ARE THEY KIDDING?

I thought the Today show was supposed to be informative? In this case, they were borderline negligent when it comes to what they said.

Their expert personal trainer didn't have a clue. I don't care how many degrees or certifications she has, what she doesn't have is common sense.

Let me review the products:

The swivel thing your run on. The Rock and Roll stepper. Haven’t you ever seen a see saw? Duh! It’s a see saw. No different than a balance board. Your body is the axis with each leg teeter-tottering over the axis. It is not only precarious (as you could see as Al Roker and the other woman tried to balance on it), but the weight of one side of your body counteracts the other side, which means it does nothing other than cause an isometric contraction, provides no way of progressing other than moving quicker which becomes a balance act. Waste of money.
The perfect pushup? What does that mean? These are circular pivoting handles that allow the wrist to move while performing the push-up. If the goal is to work the chest, then studies have shown it is better to place the hands closer than shoulder width because the fibers of the chest pull the arm inwards towards the midline of the body. Your expert trainer obviously doesn’t know that, or is aware the chest is a shoulder adductor. She stated it was easier on the shoulder. WHAT? The shoulder has no clue as to what the wrist is doing since the action of the wrist is occurring at the radio-ulnar joint (the elbow). Just look at the shoulder when they were performing the push-up. Nothing changed at all when the wrist swivelled. The action of those swiveling pads takes pressure of the wrist and has nothing to do with shoulder!!!!!! And she’s an expert?
The pull-up bar piece. The Iron Gym. Fantastic, if you’re a leopard. Who can do pull-ups all day? If they could, they probably are already in shape. I gather no one on that stage could’ve done 2-4 sets of 10, which even if they could, might have taken a total of 60 seconds of total exercise. Not very much. This piece won’t get you in shape; you already have to be in shape!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The bucking bronco. The Rock and Go. Give me a break? It moves the muscles of the core???? What if i just shake you for free. Here's one better: How about you just stick your finger in a socket and fire all your muscles?

The Today show needs a real expert who knows what they’re talking about, where to even look or examine a piece of the equipment, understands functional anatomy and is actually in shape.

Thier trainer is not an expert and a Health editor, please……

Not trying to be mean, but it’s similar to getting financial advice from someone who edits financial news. They’re an editor not an expert.

This isn’t the first time they've missed the entire picture when it comes to fitness or personal training.

Let me on there and I'll give them a real review............

Competing at the Huntsman Senior World Games

John — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 20:36:00 GMT

Competing at the Huntsman Senior World Games
By: John Platero

Every state has the senior games which are held through the National Senior Games Association. You have to be 50 years old to compete. The top two places qualify to compete in the National Senior World Games held every other year. The next National games will be held in August, 2009 in the San Francisco Bay area.
Almost 10,000 athletes registered from 20 different countries to compete in this years Huntsman Senior World Games in 25 different events.

Road Racing

Hill Climb

My first event was the Hill Climb. I met with my friends Mike Lukich and Cathy McNamara who are both past World Champions the day before to try out the course. The course was deceiving. The first mile was pretty easy. If you weren’t careful you would go too hard. The second mile got steep and the third mile got really steep. Almost 12%! It was important to save something for the last mile. I did it in 14:47. Last years winning time was 14:22 so I had to do something special. The following day was beautiful. I warmed up for an hour and did three, one minute intervals to open the legs. I went as hard as I could and won my first gold medal with a time of 14:31. I only beat the guy in second by 13 seconds! Everything I did to prepare was important. The weight loss, altitude training, etc, all made a difference. It had come down to seconds.

Opening Ceremonies

Went to the opening ceremonies at Dixie Stadium. Thousands of people. It was really neat. The entertainment wasn’t very good, but it was exciting to be a part of it.

Time Trial

This was a 40 kilometer course. Not my favorite distance. I prefer the 20k. There wasn’t any flat ground at all. You were either going up or down. The road surface wasn’t great and it was windy. I won my second gold by only 31 seconds with a 57:58 time. Again, 31 seconds isn’t much over that distance. The disc wheel, my position, the sow-up tires and everything else I did made a difference. My average heart rate for the 57:58 seconds was 96% of my Max heart rate. Can’t do too much better than that.

Criterium

We raced 30 minutes basically around a city block. However, it was more of a triangle. Kind of hard to explain. You go round and round for thirty minutes. During the race they ring a bell and give away prizes. These are called prime laps. I won the first prime. On the second prime I attacked after the first corner and got a great gap. The volunteer marking turn three assumed I knew where the turn was and didn’t wave the flag so I went straight off the course! I get to the next corner and it seemed unfamiliar. I looked to the right and saw the pack about a block away! It took me two laps to time trial as hard as I could to catch back on. Needless to say, I didn’t win that prime. With the bell lap to go, one guy went too early, but we caught him coming around the last corner. I hit the afterburners and out-sprinted everyone to win my third gold medal!

Road Race

This proved to be a close race. The course was a 36-mile loop. After studying the map and asking Mike, Cathy and some other racers, I was told the place to attack was at a hill called “the wall.” They said I would know it when I got there. They were right. I attacked hard at the hill and got away from everyone. My heart rate went the highest it had gotten al week. 176 bpm. There was still 18 miles to go so I put the hammer down and motored as fast as I could. Unfortunately, within 4-5 miles, four guys caught me. Yikes! About 5 miles before the finish line the course went down the Hill Climb course we had done three days before. I don’t particularly like descending that fast with a bunch of people so I hammered to the corner of the downhill to descend alone. One guy stuck with me so we descended together. There were some speed bumps which we “bunny-hopped” and on the last mile where the hill flattened out a little the guy made a deal with me “ let’s work together to stay away and you can win.” I had beaten him the day before in the criterium so it was a good for both of us. I said “right on,” and off we went. At the bottom we made the right hand turn towards the finish line, but with about a half mile to go they caught us again. Shit!!!! Now it was down to a sprint between the five of us. Here’s where you need nerves of steel. Someone went and got a pretty good gap, but I felt the gap needed to be closed by someone else. We were still a little too far away. Just like I thought, another jumped to close the gap, but I could tell he was in too big of gear and I knew he would blow up. I jumped on his wheel and in the last 50 meters flew by him to win my fourth gold medal by a few bike lengths! He wasn’t too happy. Since I won all four events, it made me the overall winner in cycling for my division. Not bad for my first Senior World Games.

Mountain Biking

I went to the course to practice but forgot my cleats and it was cold and raining. I did the hill climb and the downhill course anyway with my dog. It was his first mountain bike ride so I think he enjoyed it more than I did. Gnarly course. Went back the next day when the weather was much nicer and rode the cross country course twice, the hill climb and the down hill Loose dirt, boulders, red rock, loose gravel, single track and some steep steps as well. I’m glad I practiced the course. The hill climb course actually starts downhill for a bit before it goes up hill and the down hill course has three sections where you must pedal uphill.

Hill Climb

Woke up to a very, very windy, cold day. Unfortunately, I had no clue on how to set up my bike. I think I had too much air pressure and my tires were worn down because I crashed hard on the downhill section of the course. I actually launched from my bike. Landed and rolled, got a mouth full of dirt, got up and went back and got back on my bike. I lost the gold by only .14 seconds. Crap! I would have won if I hadn’t crashed. Got a deep cut above the medial side of my ankle. The paramedic cleaned it for me, but it really swollen and hurts. I got the silver medal though.

Down Hill

The wind was like a cold knife at the top of the course. After the hill climb we had to wait for a while. I changed into my full length leathers from my motorcycle days for the descent. It was probably a mistake because leathers are not made to pedal in. I lowered my seat all the way and went for it. Had to come off the bike twice on the way down. I was restricted by the leathers to pedal and jump. On the last little climb, my back tire spun out and I had to get off the bike to run up the hill again! In retrospect, I shouldn’t have worn the leathers. After all that, I still ended up with a bronzer, losing by only .54 seconds.
By now my leg was really swollen. I took Advil every four hours, iced, compressed and elevated it. I needed to be better by the next day. As long as I placed in the top three in the cross country race I could possibly win the overall, which would make me the overall winner in both the road and the mountain biking

Cross Country

The swelling in my left leg had gone down considerably so I wrapped it with ice. I was really motivated to win today. I got the lead right away but washed out in a corner a few times and the #1 guy passed me. He was a better technical rider. Although I kept putting my foot down and had to come off the bike a few times, I was able to keep him in my sights. There were two long flat sections at the end of the course I felt I could catch him for the finish. Fate intervened and I flatted at the beginning of the last lap. I had bought new tires the day before so I had problems getting the tire off and on. I broke my tire iron trying to get the tire back on which meant I had to take the tire off again to find the piece of plastic. AARGH! By then my adrenaline was down a little and the leg started to hurt. I finished anyway and since I had been so far ahead I got the bronze.

Total medals:

4 Gold in Road Racing and overall winner in my division
1 Silver in Mountain Biking
2 Bronze in Mountain Biking

Racing at the Master Worlds

John — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 18:50:00 GMT

Arrival

I arrived on Saturday to Innsbruck, Austria. The weather was perfect. As you get off the plane the view of the mountains is stunning. The mountains that provide the backdrop to the runway must be at least 10,000 feet high! It’s a relatively small airport so you actually deplane on the runway and walk to the terminal. The winter Olympics were held in Innsbruck twice; in 1964 and 1976 . You can view the ski lifts and the ski jump from the plane as you approach the airport.

My brother and his friend Grant Potter were already at the hotel but were out cycling. I had been up almost 27 hours and needed to crash. Went to bed around 5pm and woke up the next morning around 7am. Unfortunately, the weather turned bad and it was cold and rainy. The airline crushed Grants bike so we all rode to a bike shop where Grant bought a new bike. Although it was cold, we were so psyched up we rode the course a couple of times anyway.

World Cup Race

The next day was a World Cup race. It was a chance to ride with some of the competitors on the same course I would be facing in the Worlds two days later. The course is challenging with eight different hills which are 5-9% grade. Each lap is about 20 miles. We did two laps. The speed was fast, but I only hurt twice during the race. At the end of the race I was unaware of an 8-man break that had ridden off the front and thought I was sprinting with the bunch for the win. The cyclist directly in front of me overshot the last corner and almost crashed which caused me to slow down. You definitely don’t want to slow down anywhere near the finish line. I sprinted as hard as I could and finished 15th in the group.

By now, the quaint little town of St. Johann is over run with thousands of cyclists from all over the world. There is live entertainment every night in the town center and my room is almost right over the center. A little hard to sleep but the races don’t start until 1pm so I can sleep in until 9:30. Breakfast ends at 10am so I don’t want to miss that.

Time Trial

Wednesday is the time trial. Everything goes wrong. I ride my TT bike to the bike shop to adjust the shifting which the mechanic does. On the way to the course, my water bottle cage comes loose; I lose the screw that holds it on and have no place to carry it so I have to hide the cage in a bush. My front brake starts to screech really loud like a monkey. It hasn’t made a sound all week! As I step into the start house (which is the ramp they hold you on to start your race) a man points at my chain and it is about to come off. I try to put it back on but the entire drive train is stuck. I have 30 seconds to fix it, so the man helps me get it on. About 7 kilometers into the race, I shift, but my chain drops. I try to put it back on as I’m riding but the drive train is stuck again. I keep trying but resolve to the fact I’m going to have to stop. Once I slow and stop, I can’t get the darn drive train to move. I finally get it going, jump back on the bike only to have the chain drop again, however this time the chain is jammed between the small chain ring and the frame. I stop again and it takes both hands to yank the chain out. I’m now pissed off and full of grease. Jump on the bike and take off again, adrenaline pumping but now I’m just disgusted. Not the emotion I wanted to have as I approached the hardest part of the course; the hill right before the turnaround. I blow up on the hill, crawled through the turnaround and slowly got going again. I really just wanted to stop and throw my bike in a field!

The only redeeming event of the day was Grant got 7th place with a flying time of 25:28! The guy is at least 40-45 pounds heavier than anyone close to him. I don’t think he’s human.

That night we went to dinner with some American cyclists, Fred, Reno, Kenny Fuller and his girlfriend at a beautiful restaurant in the mountains with an incredible view. The weather was perfect and we were able to eat outside on the veranda. I’ve been racing with Kenny for years but never had the opportunity to hang with him. Incredible guy. He has been a National Champion 35 times, 2- time Olympian in 1972 and 1976, 4-time World Champion and is the most humble likeable guy you’d ever want to meet. He won the 20k time trial that day and set a new course record of 26:13 at 60 years old! WOW!

Road Race

Road the World Championship road race today. Big pack, very aggressive and really fast. I tried to create a breakaway before the climb on the second lap but, no one else came and I couldn’t stay away alone. I paid for it on the climb but managed to stay with pack and moved up on the descent. An 8-man breakaway formed on lap two which I tried unsuccessfully to catch a couple of times. In the last few miles, four guys tried to bridge to the 8-man break. I thought they might have a chance so I busted my hump to bridge up to the four guys. That one hurt. They sat up because I ended up towing the entire pack to them. In the end the break stayed away. In the bunch sprint there was a crash in the straightaway. Luckily for me I finished safely in the pack.

All in all I rode 380 miles, climbed over 11,000 ft of which 40% of that was racing. It’s approximately an average of 60 miles a day, 1600 ft of climbing in 3.5 hours a day in a beautiful setting surrounded by 4000 other cyclists. Not a bad week.

World Championships in St. Johann, Austria

John — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 16:51:00 GMT

I raced yesterday in a World Cup Race and did fairly well. I never saw an 8-man break so when the bunch went to sprint I thought we were sprinting for the win. the guy in front of me overshot the last corner and almost crashed clipping out to try and keep his balance. Needless to say, that severly made me slow down. NOt good in the last 500 meters. I was able to get around him and sprinted for 15th in the bunch.
It amazes me how fit some of these guys are at their age. The World Championship Time Trial is tomorrow. I´ve learned a lot already about my position and have changed a bunch around. We´ll see how it goes. My road race is on Friday but I think I´ll race a longer race on Thursday with a younger group just for training. Hey, I´m here, I might as well get a good beating. What doesn´t kill you makes you stronger. The stronger I am the better I´ll do at the Senior World´s in October.

Life is what happens while you're busy planning.

John — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:54:00 GMT

I'm here in Doha, Qatar consulting the training staff at a brand new hospital in the Sports City. The hospital is called Aspetar. Incredible experience. I did a presentation for the physical therapists and another presentation for the entire hospital staff.
After the coldest, wettest winter in 60 years in Califonia and a knee surgery on April 15th, i found myself in Doha, Qatar. Not the best place to ride a bike. Hot, humid, dusty and windy. Fortunately one of the National Junior Team riders was training in the rehab center so i started riding with the team. However, they were so young and thier style of riding was not what i needed. They were going way too hard for me. The heat made my whole body swell and their short attacks would make me heart go through the roof. At least i got to ride. About 10 days into my stay I almost tore my left pec off my arm doing plyo-pushups! I just can't get a break. I could barely lift my arm. I tried to ride later that day but, it wasn't easy. I couldn't put any weight on my left arm and definetly couldn't pull on the bike. It's amazing how the body is connected. It would hurt even opening a water bottle with my right hand. Fascia, attaches to the sternum which pulls on the other pec. It's getting better, but in four days I will be in the Dolomites (italy) on a real cycling trip. It has to heal by then. Please!!!
I was in such good shape at the end of March. Had lost about 16-17 pounds, had put in some long rides and was ready to pick up the intensity. Then knee surgery. Funny how things work out.
To make the fitness goal harder (the goal being to compete in the senior worlds in October) I'm staying at a 5-Star Hotel (4 Seasons) with all expenses paid, so it's hard to order a salad.
So, i'm taking the positive aspects and enjoying the food and the beautiful ocean and pool. I was swimming, but now with my arm i can only wade in the water.
Sometimes I feel like just giving up. It's depressing being injured, away from home, working a lot of hours and gaining weight. But, I'm not going to. Hopefully, i can recover in four days and put some good rides in Italy.

I Keep Reading These Articles...

John — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 00:20:00 GMT

I keep reading these articles about third party accreditation or raising the "standard of credibility" for personal trainers. Are trainers making too much money? Are they working too little hours? Too many benefits? Are they hurting people? I think they aren't even asking the right questions.

1. Who is asking or demanding some kind of standard of credibility? As far as I know or have seen, there aren’t any members, clients, parents, teachers or politicians writing letters, complaining or demonstrating with signs outside of gyms demanding “higher standard of credibility” for personal trainers. As far as I know, the only people or organization “making waves” in a form of a request for a third party accreditation is IRHSA. I would bet that most members never heard of IRSHA. IRSHA is a fine organization but to my knowledge has never run a personal training department, written a personal training manual or exam, have reviewed certifications nor trained people for a living. Even if the member did ask for a certification, I don’t think they would know the difference between NASM, NFPT, ACSM, NSCA or NCCPT.
2. Why aren’t there articles for “standards of credibility” for group exercise instructors, Pilates instructors, martial artists, indoor cycling, yoga or for that matter, the people who watch the member’s children while they work out? I would gather that all the previous groups I just mentioned affect or come in contact with more people than personal trainers and, I would also gather that with the lack of assessments performed before any of their participants engage in these activities probably account for more acute and chronic injuries than personal trainers cause. How about accreditation, certifications or “standards of credibility” for sales people or management?
3. Why would personal training want to be a part of the allied health team? The system is terrible. In the clubs I managed we would fulfill 2500 sessions a week in just one location! If there were just a 1% error in the system, that would result in 25 customer service problems each week from one location! I am currently fighting with Blue Cross over reimbursement for services I received from a physical therapy clinic in January of 2006! The health care system is so messed up, the physical therapy clinic I attended sometimes has to wait a year for reimbursement. When they didn’t receive it from my insurance company they passed the bills on to me. Mind you, they passed them on to me a year later! I’ve documented six phone calls over a period of four months to Blue Cross and each call I’ve been promised I would receive information on my checks in 7-14 working days. Still nothing. You can imagine how many prompts I had to wade through just to talk to someone.
4. What is the standard? Certification professionals often interviewed define the purpose of certification as establishing a “baseline of competency,” “protect the consumer,” “apply the best science possible,” etc. All fine and dandy, except it’s difficult to find a standard. A person with a degree in English literature, horticulture or mathematics qualifies to sit for the NSCA CSCS exam, but an athlete, coach or personal trainer without a degree who has been competing and training for 10-20 years cannot. How’s that for a standard? Who would monitor the standards? Have you read some of the different certification materials? Although there are many commonalities and great information, some can’t agree on the definition of abduction, range of motion, sets and rep protocols, static stretching, periodización and, it goes on and on. Most of the science has been done on “gym exercises.” With the “functional training” exercises we see now, do these sets and reps still apply? Most large facilities and trainers are performing half hour sessions. How do you perform rest periods of 3-5 minutes between each set in a 30-minute session? I just read a study on static stretching and it’s affect on lowering force production. Is that bad or is it good? Does the average client who wants to feel better and lose 10 pounds care about losing .2 seconds in their 40-meter sprint?
5. How can we increase the compensation, benefits, career path and decrease the amount of hours a personal trainer will have to work to make a decent living? If the average personal trainer earns less than $25,000 a year, how can we expect them to pay for more education? Remember, standards aren’t free. It costs to establish, monitor and employ standards.
6. Qualify the person being interviewed? When interviewing anyone regarding certification these questions should be t asked “How many new people do you meet a week, a month or a year wanting to be a personal trainer?” “Can you describe the average person looking to become certified?” What are their demographics?” “How much money do they need or want to make?’ "Do you hire or interview trainers?" What are their goals or dreams?” “Are you certified?” “How many certifications have you personally experienced?” “How many of their manuals or materials have you personally studied?” “Of the certifications you’ve recommending are you aware of how often they update their materials?” If they can’t answer these questions then they aren’t qualified to comment. This is a new field. Personal Training has changed dramatically in the last 5 years. Did anyone hear of Curves five years ago? Stability balls, medicine balls and foam rollers were not the mainstay 8-10 years ago. Most chains didn’t even have a personal training department 10 years ago! There might have been floor trainers, but in 1998 the profession was different than it is now.
7. What is a successful personal trainer? Is it financial? I see many popular trainers with a full client load who aren’t scientifically sound at all. Are they changing people’s lives for the better or the worst? Is Richard Simmons certified? How about Billy Blanks?
8. Does certification or a college degree make a successful personal trainer? Todd Durkin, who you can tell is in the trenches, had the best quote “certification makes up less than 50% of what gets the candidate in for the second interview.” I wish he would have said certification or higher education. Although doctors, lawyers and English literature majors are smart people and have obtained much education, I’m doubtful that many of them have trained clients for a long period of time. Personal trainers might never be required to acquire as much education as a doctor but then again, there are “good doctors” and “bad doctors.”

   The truth is, it’s America. It’s great that we have all these organizations to learn from. The NASM curriculum is much different than NSCA. The NCCPT is much different than ISSA of AFAA. This is capitalism at it’s finest Competition creates better products and variety. We should have options and it’s up to the student to educate themselves on an organization before they purchase their products, regardless of whether it’s a certification, trade school or a college. The clients should have options to choose the best trainer for them, regardless of the acronym at the end of their name or the lack of the acronym. An employer should have the right to decide on whom to hire for the same reasons. In my opinion anyone who has taken the time to educate themselves through a certification, trade school, college, the internet or the library has made a move in the right direction. Regardless of the piece or paper in their hand it’s the consumer or the employer’s responsibility to interview wisely, perform a back ground check and to perform their due diligence before allowing a personal trainer, salesperson or anyone to represent them. This responsibility and accountability for all of our actions exists when purchasing a gym membership, personal training or a roof on a house.
   Personal training is a service business not unlike, auto-detailers, landscapers, massage therapists, hairdressers, waiters, bartenders, chefs, housekeepers, mechanics, doctors, attorneys, accountants and on an on. You get what you pay for and pay for what you like. Believe me, if a woman likes her hairdresser she doesn’t care if they have a license or not. When was the last time you asked your massage therapist or hairdresser for their license or where your bartender or mechanic went to school? Can a massage therapist or a bartender hurt you? Sure can, if you let them.
   It is very difficult to standardize an art, and in my opinion, personal training is more of an art than a science. If a trainer purchases a certification and someone hires them, likes them and gets results, where is the foul? Personal trainers aren’t making supplements or hiding ingredients in their exercises. However, a client needs to ask questions. They are accountable for their decision in hiring a good trainer or a sub-standard trainer. Ultimately, a degree, certification or any piece or paper doesn't guarantee success. Look at all the marriage licenses that end in divorce. Regardless of how much a trainer paid or studied for their certification or degree, it is the consumer’s responsibility to decide on whether to purchase their services or not. If they don’t educate themselves on how to do so, then shame on them or shame on the company that presented the trainer to their customers. That’s what insurance and attorneys are for.
   The focus should be on the facilities and their compensation for personal trainers and, more importantly, the basic education our children receive in regular schooling. It would have been highly beneficial if I had learned about my joints, muscles and how our bodies move in high school so I could make better decisions when exercising, getting a massage or hiring a personal trainer. It might have saved me from the four knee surgeries I’ve incurred in my life.
   Personal trainers are studying to become certified or degreed from a variety or colleges and certifications, waking up at ridiculously early hours, working late into the evening, getting people into shape, preventing a host of diseases, motivating and caretaking for their clients for very little money, no benefits in most cases without any guaranteed work schedule. I’ve never met a more empathetic group of people. Could we give them a break?

Maybe next article?

Does Experience Equal Wisdom?

John — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 23:52:00 GMT

When I’m at conferences, workshops, conversing or observing other trainers I hear them say “I’ve been training people for 20 years or I’ve got 20 years of experience.” Most often I’m impressed, but sometimes when I ask questions or observe them train, it seems obvious they don’t have a clue as to what they are doing. In fact, they probably have one year of experience and repeated that same year 10 or 20 times.

I have a company that certifies personal trainers and all my instructors have to pass an instructor exam. It surprises me when I see a person with MS or PH. D at the end of their name who can’t answer the questions for the exam. Is this a problem?

It seems the personal training industry is gearing towards accreditation from “higher education” or a college degree. However, once you obtain your degree, there is no requirement to maintain your knowledge as opposed to certifications which expire; therefore the person is required to continue their education to maintain their certification.

Since this industry is fairly new and information continues to change rapidly, colleges may be using text books or training manuals that aren’t up to date. In some cases I’ve seen information that is erroneous and in some case dangerous. Printing costs can run into the hundreds of thousands so many texts are not updated in a timely manner. In general most people who have college degrees are pretty competent, but I’ve also met some self-taught, not-degreed, non-certified trainers that are avid learners who are also very knowledgeable.

Don’t get me wrong. College and higher education is fantastic, however, like any other industry there can be “good doctors” and “bad doctors.”

My advice is to whomever you choose to hire or consult, make sure this person attends workshops, conferences or some additional education since they’ve obtained their degree or certification. Try and educate yourself as to what questions to ask. It’s no different than buying a new roof for your home. You’re ultimately responsible for who, or what you choose.

Take note of a trainer that has obtained all of their education from the same certification company. Most certification companies focus or emphasize a certain aspect of training. It’s important for a person to be exposed to other views from additional educational organizations. People are different and the human body is vast. No one will know it all and sometimes “20 years of experience” can actually be limiting.

The desire and passion to learn and the ability to change to keep up with the latest information and techniques are the most important aspects I look for when hiring a trainer or instructor. I would rather have a person with zero education and the desire to learn then a Ph.D. who thinks they know it all. Then again, at trainer with a burning desire and zero knowledge of joint structure and function could be helping you to contribute to the orthopedic surgeon BMW fund. J For me, empathy or the sincere desire to help someone is just as important as knowledge.

Every day is a new “experience.” Try and approach each day with an open mind. The one thing you can count on for sure, is change. My Mother used to tell me “your mind is like a parachute, if it doesn’t open it isn’t worth much.”

Now, that’s wisdom.